Ordinary kitchen cornstarch makes a safe, effective carpet cleaner. Just sprinkle dry cornstarch powder on your carpet, leave it for an hour, then vacuum it up, just as you would the commercial product.

Baking soda is another excellent option; sprinkle it on then vacuum it up both to clean your carpet and to remove pet odors.

Clip art copyright Clipart.com

Every year when we clean out the dogs’ things, we go through three steps:

1. wash and mend everything.
2. determine if we want to keep it for next year. If it didn’t get used last winter or it was just too difficult to get on our dogs, we donate it to our local shelter.
3. store the clothes for the summer. We use plastic boxes with some cedar balls (available for just a couple of dollars in the laundry section of the grocery) to keep out moths. Never use moth balls; they’re toxic for dogs if they should get hold of them and the dog clothes will smell like moth balls, which your dog will hate!

Here’s a video about this year’s dog clothing storage project (with a cameo appearance by our Irie):

Do you have allergies? About 40 million Americans do (count us in!) and dog and cat dander can be a real trigger according to the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America. For most people, though, working to keep down the allergens is a small price to pay to enjoy your life with your furry family members.

Today we’ve got some tips from Steve Ramos, featured home inspector on HGTV’s House Detective, provided by Filtrete filters from 3M (which we use in our central air system…with four cats and two dogs, we’ve got plenty to filter!)

According to HGTV’s Ramos, you can cut back on the allergens in your home with a few simple steps:

• Bathe and groom your pets on a regular basis to help keep pet dander at bay.
• Regularly wash bedding and linens at high heats – approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit  - to help keep dust mites from collecting on your bedding.
• Use a high performance filter, like the Filtrete 1” Elite Allergen Reduction Filter from 3M, to help capture particles such as pollen, dust mite debris and pet dander from the air that passes through the filter.  Be sure to change your filter at the start of every season.

The solution? We use old dishwashing gloves to wipe down our furniture. (Wonder what to do when you tear a hole in a glove? Here’s the answer!)

Put on the glove, wet it and shake it a little, and you’re ready to go. Brush off the furniture with your gloved hand and watch the hair roll up. The gloves can be used over and over again. The process just takes minutes and the hair is ready to pick up and throw away. (We like to toss it outside; the birds and squirrels like to use it when they build their nests!)

To reduce our impact on the environment, we’ve been using vinegar as a cleanser as much as possible. White distilled vinegar is very inexpensive and disinfects as it cleans. We keep a spray bottle filled with a mix of about 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water to clean our kitchen counters (which the cats have a habit of walking across).

We mop with vinegar as well, adding about a cup of vinegar to a gallon of warm water (some people also add a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid). Not only does it clean without chemical fumes but you don’t need to worry about your pets getting it on their feet.

Vinegar also discourages ants so it’s a great product to spray around your pet food bowls during the summer months when ants might invade.

We also use apple cider vinegar as a cleanser. It’s slightly more expensive than white vinegar but still far less costly than products packaged as cleansers. Apple cider vinegar helps deter fleas so we mop the area where the dogs like to sleep with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water (it also smells better than white vinegar, we think) and add apple cider vinegar to the rinse cycle when we wash their bedding. We also like to rinse the dogs after their baths in an apple cider vinegar/water solution to help deter fleas.

Vinegar products are easy on the environment–and on your pocketbook–so they make a great choice for pet households!

Begin early to teach your dog to eat only from his dish. More dogs die needlessly from accidental poisoning. The perfect d og would not eat what is found on the ground or around the house. – EK

Puppies like and need the security of a cage for sleeping in with either the door open or shut. Some day you may need to crate your pet for travel, so it’s best to have the cage/crage as part of a “normal” life. – EKC

A puppy NEEDS socialization. He/she NEEDS to be exposed to the real world/other dogs, people (obviously under the right circumstances and NOT under fearful or intimidating circumstances). Your puppy can’t simply live behind your four walls (even if that includes a yard). – Michelle

make sure there is something he can chew on other than the furniture! – Katharine

Your puppy can not be trusted alone, and expected NOT to poop/pee/chew, or otherwise get into or cause problems or destruction. – MVG

If the dog digs holes in the lawn, put some coins in a can with a lid and shake it at the dog and yell stop that. It will distract the dog and cause him to look at you. Keep shaking the can at him every time he starts digging. He will stop. – Sue

CHEWING:

Chewing can be a serious setback for an otherwise good dog. If your pooch is a chewer like mine used to be you’re surely desperate for it to stop! Below is a few things that are terrific for solving the issue of inappropriate chewing.

1. Be sure your dog is getting plenty of exercise. Boredom leads to frustration, frustration will lead to chewing. Try walks, fetch, hide and seek, obedience, flyball, agility classes are all great fun for your dog and you! If your dog is being challenged mentally and physically it will be less likely to have the need to chew.

2. When your dog is found chewing on a taboo item tell it “no” in a low and firm voice then replace the item with an “approved” item such a favorite toy and give praise. This will teach your dog to transfer the habit to an item that is ok for chewing.

3. Get appropriate toys for your dog. Remember that a dog cannot distinguish between your good shoes and the old shoe you gave him to chew. To a dog an old shoe is no different than a new one.

And this concept carries on to other items. Example: My dog Uma kept chewing my quilts, blankets, pillows, anything soft that had any type of stuffing. After realizing that those items were very much like her stuffed toys that she loved to tear apart. So we removed her soft toys, replaced them with a Kong and squeaky tennis balls. This gave her something to happily chew and she stopped associating my quilts and couch with those regular soft toys because they were no longer around. The destruction stopped!!

We make sure she has a good walk or playtime daily and keep a supply of balls and Kongs for her to chew. She is doing great.

(I don’t know what we would do without our Kong toys!! They are terrific for so many reasons! Perfect for transferring chewing habits! great to preoccupy your dog when their alone. The selection of multi-purpose toys is great!) They saved us!

4. Crating your dog. Some dogs have a very difficult time being away from their humans. When you leave them they are filled with anxiety. This makes them frustrated and the frustration leads to chewing or other destructive behavior.

The use of a crate can give them comfort like a den. If they are chewing things then leaving them loose while you are away gives them access to anything in your home.

On the other hand, if they are in a crate their chewing options are greatly limited.

The use of a few treats in the crate can give a positive re-enforcement. Making the crate a good experience. While in the crate they can have an appropriate item to chew (be sure they will not tear apart and eat the item) OR they can be placed in the crate without any items. As the chewing subsides you can ween them off of the crate use. But is a helpful tool to keep your items and your dog safe.

5. Remember that your Veterinarian is there for you. They will be happy to assist you and solve any issues that your dog may be having.

Dogs that chew are often discarded. But with a little patience, understanding and diligence you can solve this issue and prevail.

In the end you will have a wonderful companion. – PJ

What to do? Don’t reach for the regular carpet cleaner; you want to remove the stain, not mask it with perfumes. If the stain and its accompanying odor isn’t totally removed, your dog will be able to smell it and will return again and again.

First, pick up and blot up as much of the stain–whether solid or liquid– as possible without rubbing it into the carpet.

Next, get out an enzyme cleaner; these destroy rather than mask the organic material that’s causing the odor. Use the product according to the directions on the bottle. Most of these products have little or no scent and will not stain your carpet. (Check out the Clean+Green product we reviewed recently.)

No enzyme cleaner? Reach for some common household products. Don’t use ammonia. (Urine contains ammonia, so the chemical will keep attracting your dog to the spot.) White vinegar is a good odor remover; use one-quarter cup to a quarter of water. Start out conservatively and add more if needed.

Another idea? Salt will absorb fresh urine and remove some of the scent. The sooner you can get it on the stain, the better. Baking soda works well, too; just rub it into a urine stain. Rubbing the area with a dryer sheet can also remove some of the odor.

If you can smell odors but can’t find the stains, try a black light. Turn off all your lights and turn on the black light; stains will glow under the light.

Of course, if the stains are too bad and nothing seems to help, there’s always the professional carpet cleaner. They have the heavy-duty cleaning machinery needed to really dig into the stain and extract as much of it as possible.

All in all, stains happen…it’s all just part of living with and loving a dog. It’s a small price to pay for all you get in return!

Do you have a favorite way to clean up dog stains? Please leave your tips in the comment box below!

Cleaning up stains brings up two important issues: (1) you want the stain to go away and (2) you don’t want to use anything that can harm your dog and you want a product that’s safe for the environment. How do you find an earth-friendly dog product
to effectively clean pet stains?

Read the Label. The label will tell you whether the packaging is “green”, and if the ingredients are earth-friendly. Be on the lookout for:

Plant-Based ingredients. Many safe cleaners are made from corn, coconuts, oranges or lemons. If it’s a fruit or vegetable, it’s probably safe (unless you, your dog or a family member is allergic to it). Avoid petrochemicals, and anything that says “petroleum-based” since these chemicals do not biodegrade and leave toxic residues that can, at minimum, irritate your dog’s eyes, skin and respiratory system.

Look for Natural Enzymes. Eco-friendly natural enzymes are organic additives that actually “eat” stains and odors. They sometimes need re-application, and may take a little longer to get rid of the stain and odor completely–a small price to pay for the good it does the environment and your dog’s health.

Check for Non-Toxic Ingredients. As it sounds, “non-toxic” means the ingredients are not poisonous. You’re probably using the cleaner on an area that your dog walks on, and could easily lick. Some dogs (and some toddlers) lick any surfaces they come across (as well as their feet once they walk across them) so you want to make sure the cleaner you use won’t be harmful to your family or your dog.

Recyclable or Biodegradable Packaging. “Eco-friendly” should apply not only to the contents but also to the container. Make sure the package won’t add to the millions of plastic containers already overflowing our landfills. And remember that if the container is recyclable, it still needs your help getting into the recycle bin.